Revelation Chapter 11:1-18 Lesson 15 Christ Independent Methodist Church 4078 Silver Lake Drive, Palatka, FL 32177 April 20, 2011 Michael K. Hudson Sr. Senior Pastor Revelation 11:1 18 KJV And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. Model of Herod s Temple as seen from the east! manner be killed. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly. And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. Several years ago, there was a Sci-Fi television series called Farscape. The series ran for four seasons. But, the most devastating aspect of this series was the ending. On the final episode, the two main characters are sitting in a boat on a lake on an alien planet. An attack ship comes by and shoots them while they are sitting there. Both bodies crumble into little bity pieces and fall into the bottom of the boat and into the lake. Their friends cry out in pain and horror as they watch the scene unfold. Then the series abruptly ends and you are left to wonder how will it be made right. There was no preview of the next series because this was the end supposedly. It left the watcher with a sense of distraught that the series ended in tragedy. It was not until some time later that a final movie came out to show how things turn out right. Previews to the next episode often give the person a sense of relief that tragedies will be overcome and things will turn out all right. Chapter eleven of Revelation is part of the interlude or parenthesis where the Lord is giving a preview that even though the world is in great upheaval, He will set things right. I. The Time of the Gentiles is coming to a close Revelation chapter eleven is an extension of chapter ten. The first word of chapter eleven is the word and, which is a conjunction joining the tenth chapter with the eleventh chapter. It is a continuation of the interlude. God is giving additional information for the reader to understand what is happening of the earth during the Tribulation Period. John the beloved Apostle who has only been a bystander is now given a task to measure the temple of God. Whenever God begins to measure things, He is setting things right and letting others know that this world is His. Revelation 11:1 2 KJV And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. When God created the heavens and the earth, He placed man in the Garden of Eden to till the soil and have dominion over the earth. God commanded Adam to multiply and have the dominion over the world. Genesis 1:28 KJV And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. 2
But, when Adam and Eve sinned, they sold the world over to Satan. They put themselves and all their children into slavery, slavery to sin. And for the last 6,000 years, this world has been under the influence of Satan. Only by the Lord Jesus Christ can a person break the power of sin over his or her life and be set free. This world today is under the power of Satan, he is the prince of the power of the air. Ephesians 2:1 3 KJV And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 2 Corinthians 4:3 4 KJV But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. The time of the dominion of Satan was coming to a close. The Lord will be reclaiming His world and will establish His kingdom. 2 Peter 3:10 13 KJV But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the com- ing of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. All that the curse of sin has infected will one day be taken away and God will make a new heaven and earth. But, because of Satan deceiving men, the world is in upheaval. The nation of Israel, God s people, wandered away from the Lord and into sin and rebellion. God judged His people and sent them into captivity. From the captivity of Jerusalem until the Lord returns is known as the Time of the Gentiles. This is when the nation of Israel is under the rule of the Gentiles. This began when Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem and carried the people back to Babylon. 2 Chronicles 36:1 7 KJV Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father s stead in Jerusalem. Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And the king of Egypt put him down at Jerusalem, and condemned the land in an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and turned his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt. Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God. Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon. 3
Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the Lord to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon. Luke 21:24 KJV And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. In 1948, when Israel became a nation again, the time of the Gentiles continued because Israel is still under the Gentile powers for protection. They are not free from the influence and need for the Gentile nations to protect and keep them from their enemies. However, there is coming a day when Israel will return to the Lord and He will keep them. John is told to measure the temple with a rod. The rod was a measuring stick of ten feet long and an instrument of judgment. He was instructed to measure the Temple area (Holy of Holies and Holy plae), the altar, and the worshippers. John was instructed not to measure the Court of the Gentiles because the time of the Gentiles was coming to a close as previously mentioned. God is giving John a preview that He was about to bring things back to what is right. He was going to bring in His kingdom and end the reign of Satan and his kingdom. Today, there is no temple in Jerusalem. Israel did not return to the land in order to worship the Lord, rather to have a place of safety and freedom from persecution. They, as a whole, are not worshipping the Lord. But, there is coming a day when Israel shall return back to the Lord and worship Him as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In the Scriptures, there are five different temples mentioned. Solomon s temple is mentioned in 1 Kings chapter seven. Nebuchadnezzar in 588 B. C. destroyed this temple. Zerubbabel s Temple was mentioned in Ezra chapter three and verse twelve. Antiochus Epiphanes in 170 B. C. destroyed it. Herod s temple was mentioned in John chapter two and verse twenty. Titus in 70 A. D. destroyed it. Rebuilt temple is mentioned in 2 Thessalonians chapter two and verse four. Judah will rebuild this temple during the Tribulation period. The Antichrist will set himself up as god in this temple. 2 Thessalonians 2:1 4 KJV Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Millennial Temple is mentioned in Acts chapter fifteen and verse sixteen and Ezekiel chapter forty. Acts 15:16 KJV After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: The Lord will build the Temple during His millennial reign, which follows the Tribulation Period. But, until then, Jerusalem, the holy city, will be under the rule of the Gentile nations for another forty-two months or the last three and half years of the Tribulation Period. Notice the phrase unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months which means that in three and half years the time of the Gentiles will come to an 4
end. Daniel 9:25 27 KJV Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. In the middle of the last week (7 year period Tribulation Period), the Antichrist who made a covenant with Israel will break after three and half years. He will cause the temple worship to stop and will go into the temple and set himself up as God. II. The two witnesses that God sends Revelation 11:3 12 KJV And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. A. Their identity God requires two witnesses to testify against someone in order for them to be put to death for their sins. He sends His two witnesses to the earth to proclaim judgment. Deuteronomy 17:6 KJV At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death. There has been much discussion and disagreement as to the identity of these two witnesses. Many Bible scholars and teachers 5
disagree as to who these two men are. But, please note that they are not symbolic figures but two actual men who are the witnesses that God sends to accomplish His purpose. One of the witnesses identities is readily seen in the Scriptures. This witness is Elijah. In Malachi chapter four and verse six teaches that Elijah s ministry will bring men, women, and children to Christ during this time. But, he will also bring judgment on those who oppose his ministry. Malachi 4:5 6 KJV Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. The identity of the other witness is not readily seen. There is a difference of opinion. One group identifies the witness as Moses. Moses is seen as a key figure in Israel s history. He is seen in association with the Law as Elijah with the prophets. He was present at the transfiguration of Christ. Several prominent theologians hold to this position: Oliver Greene, Walter Scott, David Jeremiah, Donald Barnhouse, and others. Another group identifies this witness as Enoch. Enoch, along with Elijah, is the only other person during the Old Testament time that did not die but was translated. Theologians Seiss and Govett believe that Enoch is the other witness. I tend to lean toward their position. James Vernon McGee identifies this witness as John the Baptist because he was the forerunner to the first coming of Christ and his ministry is very similar in style to Elijah s. However, since the identity is not clear cut on the second witness, a lot of time does not need to be devoted to trying to identify this individual. Both of these witnesses are men who are given a special ministry to preach the coming kingdom of Christ. B. Their ministry The two men were given power by the Lord to go and prophesies on the earth for 1260 days, or forty-two months, or three and half years. The question is when did they prophesy. Was it part of the first half or second half of the Tribulation Period? The text indicates that it was probably part of the first half. During the first half of the Tribulation period, the Antichrist is working politically to gain power over the revised Roman Empire. When he finally gains this position he uses his power to attack and kill these two witnesses. This does not happen until the middle of the Tribulation period. These men are God s witnesses on the earth. They are as lights shining in the darkness. They are two olive trees, which is a reference to Zechariah chapter two. Zechariah 4:1 14 KJV And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord? Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. 6